Getting Started
This is the hardest part!
Introduction
The topic of digital privacy is quite broad and to tackle everything at once will burn you up good. A good place to start is by deciding what type of threat model resonates with you. By deciding what type of threats you want to combat, you can effectively achieve your level of satisfaction for securing your online presence.
Choosing or Building your own Threat Model
The simplest place to start is choosing from a predefined preset of tools & strategies designed for a specific level of threats. Advanced users or users who feel that the presets are not sufficient for their needs can customize and craft their own strategies.
Presets
Level 1: The Casual Observer
Threat Level: LowDescription: Everyday data collectors like advertisers, trackers, or apps harvesting personal information for targeted ads or analytics.
Focus: Reducing your digital footprint and minimizing exposure.
Level 2: The Opportunistic Attacker
Threat Level: ModerateDescription: Individuals or bots exploiting weak passwords, outdated software, or public Wi-Fi vulnerabilities.
Focus: Strengthening security with better passwords, MFA, and network hygiene.
Level 3: The Persistent Snooper
Threat Level: ElevatedDescription: Entities deliberately trying to track, monitor, or profile you over time, such as overly intrusive employers, stalkers, or aggressive data miners.
Focus: Anonymity through VPNs, pseudonyms, and data minimization.
Level 4: The Advanced Adversary
Threat Level: HighDescription: Sophisticated actors targeting specific individuals, such as hackers, fraudsters, or corporate spies.
Focus: Advanced security measures like encrypted communication, hardware 2FA, and strict threat modeling.
Level 5: The Surveillance Shadow
Threat Level: ExtremeDescription: Government surveillance or nation-state-level monitoring targeting activists, journalists, or individuals in oppressive regimes.
Focus: Extreme anonymity and security: Tor, burner devices, air-gapped systems, and avoiding digital traces.